Monday, October 10, 2016

New camera system lets bosses see you in real time

Here’s looking at you, trucker. Some driver-facing cameras
will soon be able to see a lot more than they used to.

Lytx, the largest supplier of camera-based technology for
trucking, has introduced Unisyn, a platform that allows Lytx customers to
custom configure cameras on their trucks. According to a Lytx press release,
fleets “can access, review, and manage video ... when, where, and how they
want, in real time, or a few days after an incident.”

Lytx made the announcement in conjunction with the recent
2016 ATA Management Conference & Exhibition in Las Vegas.

Lytx Senior Director of Corporate Communications Gretchen
Griswold confirmed the Unisyn customization applies to all Unisyn onboard
cameras -- including a driver-facing camera if there is one. But Unisyn is
really designed for cargo security, not driver monitoring, she noted.

Launched in 1998 and originally known as DriveCam, Lytx is
the largest provider of video-based safety systems for trucking. DriveCam is
still the name of the company’s flagship video program. Fleets using DriveCam
include Swift Transportation, NFI, Dart Transit and US Foods, the sixth-largest
private fleet in North America.

Griswold explained the Unisyn platform is separate from and
does not apply to current DriveCam cameras.

A Lytx DriveCam driver-facing camera records in a loop,
continuously overwriting its memory. When triggered by an event like hard
braking or a collision, however, the system saves the video from 10 seconds
before and 10 seconds after the trigger. That video is sent to a cloud server
where fleet managers can review driver actions alongside video from a
forward-aimed camera.

Unisyn is different. Its “always on” feature enables a
camera to record at times of management’s choosing for up to seven consecutive
days. It also enables managers to see what the camera sees in real time,
virtually live. According to Lytx, the Unisyn platform can synchronize all
cameras on a truck. They can include a driver-facing camera.

Would a driver-facing Unisyn camera alert a driver he or she
is being recorded or observed?

“There are no lights on the Unisyn cameras indicating that
recording or real-time viewing is taking place,” Griswold explained. “That’s
for two reasons: These cameras aren’t anticipated to be driver-facing, and a
key objective of the Unisyn platform is cargo security. Lights would alert
would-be thieves that they are being monitored.”

Unisyn cameras can capture and record activity outside the
truck. Cameras can show a forward view, side view, rear view, cargo interior,
or a view of the dock or warehouse a truck is backed into. That camera could
establish that a truck was actually there and confirm loading and unloading
activity. It might even provide proof of delivery.

Unisyn was not the only Lytx announcement at the ATA
convention. The company also introduced updates to the DriveCam system,
including new video trigger events.

For example, the new Rolling Stop trigger trips when a
driver goes through a posted stop sign without coming to a complete stop while
the new Roll Stability trigger detects activation of a third-party
roll-stability system.

Featured Post

When we started this little adventure into “blogging” 10 years ago, we didn’t quite know what would become of it. Over the years it’s grown...

Glad you stopped by

Tandem Thoughts is where the LL media team shares opinions, commentary, humor and candid discussion. We drop honesty bombs, we poke fun, we offer provocative analysis of news and events of interest to truckers. No topic is off limits. Be sure to subscribe or check back often. There's always something new to see.

Land Line Magazine official publication of OOIDA

Want to comment

To comment, click on the headline of the entry you want to comment on. On the bottom of the page you will then click on "Post a comment."

You DO NOT have to have an account to submit a comment, as we allow for anonymous comments. Either type in a nickname or click anonymous. Publish your comment and you're done.

Comments are moderated for profanity, topic relevance and spam. Moderation of posts occurs during normal business hours Monday-Friday.

Comments are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Land Line Magazine or OOIDA and are subject for consideration for inclusion in the magazine.